"Not bad," a trace of approval flashed in Tsuru's eyes. "Then, what if the enemy commander is a suspicious yet cautious person who excels at setting counter-traps? How would you arrange your 'Cloud Mist evidence' to make him suspicious, yet ultimately guide him toward the erroneous judgment we preset?"
A deep tactical deduction unfolded.
Seraphilia's mind raced at high speed, occasionally even questioning the feasibility of certain steps.
This acuity and the courage to ask questions showed Tsuru potential far exceeding her age.
"That's enough for today." Tsuru finally pushed a file toward her. "This is a summary of recent anomalies reported by the G-5 base. Your after-school assignment is to analyze the clues possibly hidden behind these 'abnormalities' and devise a preliminary plan."
"Yes, Teacher Tsuru." Seraphilia accepted the file and bowed respectfully.
She understood that this was both pressure and immense trust.
Night fell, deep as the sea.
In the simple room, Seraphilia sat cross-legged. Every inch of her muscles was protesting; the day's pain clung to her like maggots, but her spirit was more focused than ever before.
Scattered on the desk were countless sketches, all centered on the dream of soaring through the sky—the kintoun.
Above the palms she held up loosely, a fist-sized "cloud core," within which a galaxy seemed to flow, floated quietly.
This was her masterpiece, iterated dozens of times, the "heart" of the kintoun.
But tonight, she was going to give it a "body" and a "soul."
She closed her eyes, her consciousness sinking completely into the connection with the cloud core.
Spiritual power, like the finest carving knife, began to'sculpt' and 'program' the vast Cloud Mist converging around the cloud core.
The streamlined shape, the self-absorbing power system, the linkage with the little skylark... all concepts were proceeding in an orderly manner.
The most crucial step was writing in the "Mimic Consciousness."
She didn't aspire to create true life, but she hoped it could respond to her and share emotions.
This expression vehicle... she thought of the Kaomoji from her memories of her previous life.
Simple, vivid, and most importantly, she could imagine the smile that would appear in Robin's azure eyes when she saw those cute symbols.
For Robin... this thought was the brightest star in her dark crossing.
The process was incredibly arduous. The consumption of spiritual power was like a bursting dam, causing her vision to momentarily darken, and the internal injuries struck by Garp during the day began to ache faintly. Just as she felt her consciousness was about to be swallowed by darkness and the Cloud Mist structure was on the verge of collapse, the image of a black-haired, blue-eyed little girl flashed in her mind.
"Robin..."
She needed faster speed, freer wings, to reach that girl's side, to prop up the sky for her when she needed it.
"Condense for me!"
The last shred of willpower turned into fuel and roared into the cloud core!
Buzz—!
A soft hum, seemingly from the depths of her soul, seemed to draw all the light in the room toward it.
When the light dissipated, a pure white cloud mass, about two meters in diameter, smooth as pearl, floated quietly in the air before her.
Success!
At the front end of the cloud mass, a small area glowed faintly, displaying a clear white Kaomoji: (◕ ‿ ◕ ✿)
Immense joy mixed with the feeling of total exhaustion instantly submerged Seraphilia; she even felt a burning sensation in her eye sockets.
She reached out a trembling hand and gently pressed against the cool surface of the kintoun.
The cloud mass trembled slightly, as if responding to her, and the Kaomoji at the front changed to: (｡ ･ ω ･ ｡) ﾉ ♡
"Can you... understand me?" she asked, her voice dry.
The kintoun bobbed up and down twice, like a nod, and the Kaomoji changed to: ( • ̀ ᴗ • ́) و ̑ ̑
"Take me... for a flight."
The kintoun immediately moved steadily beneath her feet.
Seraphilia stepped onto it and felt an extraordinary stability underfoot. Following a slight movement of her thought, it carried her, silently circling slowly within the room.
The Kaomoji rolled cheerfully: ╰ ( ￣ ▽ ￣ ) ╯
She jumped down from the cloud, and the kintoun immediately shrank to the size of a soccer ball, affectionately rubbing against her arm, the Kaomoji displaying: (づ ￣ ³ ￣ ) づ
Seraphilia could hold back no longer. She snatched up the warm, soft cloud mass and buried her face in it, her shoulders shaking slightly.
This was not just a means of transport; it was a partner that could respond to her, carrying all her longing and resolve.
"From now on, I'll call you 'Little White.'" She wiped away the moisture from her eyes, a smile of relief and determination on her face. "We are going to fly very high and very far, together."
Little White circled her happily, the Kaomoji on its screen chirping: ♪ ( ^ ∇ ^ * ) ( ๑ • ̀ ㅂ • ́) و ✧
Outside the window, the sky was turning white.
A new day awaited with morning lessons and iron fists.
But Seraphilia knew that her sky had already changed.
She gently grasped the Robin charm around her neck and whispered in the dawn: "Robin, wait for me. Soon, I will be able to... go see you more freely."
Little White floated quietly beside her, the Kaomoji on its screen transforming into a simple, yet incomparably warm: (◕ ‿ ◕) ♦
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